Serious Sam 3: BFE due October 18

Croteam has finally announced an official release date for Serious Sam 3: BFE. The game was supposed to come out this summer, but it's been delayed until October 18—just one week before Battlefield 3 hits.

Of course, Serious Sam is a very different kind of game. It should be cheaper, as well. The press release mentions a "seriously awesome price so you can punk your friends that pay $60 for a FPS where you duck behind walls half the time." No specifics are given, but there will be a 10% discount for pre-orders and an additional 10% off for folks who own another Serious Sam title on Steam. You're supposed to be able to reserve a copy of BFE today, but it looks like Valve isn't ready to start taking orders just yet. In the meantime, check out the latest trailer for the game:

With the promise of non-stop action and a 16-player cooperative campaign, Serious Sam 3: BFE looks like a welcome departure from the rash of overly scripted shooters that have dominated the market. I can only hope that the retro gameplay translates better than it did in Duke Nukem Forever.